Amalfi

Our tour guide reminds me of Claire Martin who used to be with CBC. Same accent, same personality, similar looks.

We did an absolutely stunning walk down 700m to Amalfi yesterday! Even though the net drop was 700m ("the day has a downhill bias"). we did lots of up, so the total elevation change my body is be feeling is fairly dramatic. In several spots we could see to where headed. In others we could look back and see where we'd been.  Call me impressed!!

The uneven stone steps and some of the "goat paths" close to the edge of big drops strongly reminded me of Machu Picchu, but with adequate oxygen.   

I think when the brochure says we walk 2700 steps down to Amalfi, it means those steps start only after 3 hours of hiking.  Yay for hiking poles!!  

Today we walk up and across this saddleback. Today it is also one year since Brian died. He'd love this hike and will be with me in spirit. Thanks to all of you for your support on this journey. 

Always, always travel with extra ziploc bags

So much space can be saved my smushing things into them - and I did. 

Yesterday was a day of navigating train stations, so I have nothing fun or particularly interesting to say about that. The system is efficient, but like small towns, I prefer small train stations. No such luck today. 

On the train to Naples I was sitting across from man with a striking resemblance to Tony Soprano - seems a bit cliche, but true story. Cliches become cliches for a reason. 

Naples is loud, dirty, chaotic, sleazy and men look at women in ways I've never experienced before. I felt like I needed a shower the whole time I was wandering around the streets. It's also much more multicultural than any other place I've seen in Italy, which I hadn't thought about before. Everything I saw of Naples while walking or riding buses looked like a slum.  Pedestrians seem to cross the street wherever - they wait about 10 seconds which must seem like it's been long enough and then cross - despite the traffic. Drivers seem to work with this cuz it's also how people drive - and traffic signals appear to be only suggestions. A return visit is not on my bucket list! 

Naples streetscape 

 

It looks like the tour will be great. The majority of the group is from England, with three Canadians, one American, a couple of New Zealanders and two I don't know about yet. 

The drive around the Bay of Naples at sunset and then way up the mountain to our hotel was spectacular! Kelly, you thought we saw good driving by Italians in Tuscany - you should have seen the bus driver navigate the array of hairpin turns on the mountainside!!

Dinner at the hotel was wonderful! The accommodations are lovely - there is a new pool that I'm sure will feel so good after a day of hiking. Looking forward to the week.  

Not bad, eh? The place seems to get many hikers - spotted another group just now. 

This trip would be even better if I spoke some Italian!

I walked the rest of the path around the city this morning - such a breathtaking walk. Along the way, I put some of Brian's ashes on the stone fence in a place with a stunning view. He'd love it here!  

I was feeling kinda sad, and then I got to the place where the path ended at a stone building with a long stone staircase, but no signage. Wasn't sure where to go, but an elderly gentleman told me to go up the stairs - as was he - he'd been picking cranberries. He knew a tiny bit of English, and I learned that he's 86, a retired swimming and diving instructor, has 3 children - his daughter is a teacher near Milan, one of his 2 sons lives in Australia and he lives in an apartment near the stairs we walked up. Actually, he kind of bounded up the steps. Pretty spry for 86. He's from Napoli, so was pleased I'm headed that way tomorrow. Such encounters are so unexpected and make my day and make me think there are powers at work that I don't understand. By the time I shook his hand and said good-bye to him I couldn't stop smiling. 

I went back to yesterday's trattoria at lunchtime for more of that delicious caprese salad, but there was no Napoli Bufala Mozzarella left - I got very lucky yesterday!  (Maybe I can find some during the few hours I have in Naples tomorrow? Oh, right - I was planning to find pizza). 

If you go to Orvieto - and you should - eat here for sure!!

No matter - the food was still spectacular. Again, it was like a social club with completely different people - Americans and New Zealanders - all of them seem to own houses around the area, some conduct business from here and divide their time between Italy and their other home.  This appears to be the clientele of this trattoria - in fact one of the times the cook popped out of the kitchen (there were many), he said he doesn't really like Italians. Someone said, what about ... - "he's Venetian, he's not Italian".  What about ..,,? "He's International. If I don't like someone out here I just stay in the kitchen."  He obviously liked today's crowd. And it felt good to hear and speak English! 

Another thing about solo travel here - most of the time there is no one to talk to in my own language. That's likely one of the reasons I'm enjoying blogging and email as much as I am - and tuning into the previous night's program of The National each morning. 

Google seems to have decided I've been in Italy long enough to start getting search results in Italian. Scary when Google starts making decisions on our behalf. 

Laundry is done again and I've been packing. I hope I don't have to resort to wearing hiking boots tomorrow to create a bit of space, but it may come to that. 

Tomorrow is a long travel day...

I'm not getting lost anymore, but I don't always know where I am

I often find myself on a street I don't recognize, but as long as I walk up rather than down, I get to a familiar spot. That was meant to be a factual statement, but now that I re-read it, it sounds kinda deep. 

I love my little cafe in the mornings. The same old guys are in their spots. I can tell when the trains come and go. When one has arrived, confused looking people with maps in hand walk up the hill with their bags clacking behind them. When people are leaving, they confidently stride down the hill, bags in tow. I've decided lots of school groups come to Orvieto for their year end trips. Makes sense - there is lots to see, lots of history and it's close to Rome and Florence. Monday seemed like an American tour group day. Yesterday was more of an Asian tour group day. Today was pretty mixed, but it was market day which was likely a draw for day trippers. You can buy everything at the market - Kelly - even a bathing suit. Fruit, vegetables, meats, cheese, dried fruits, nuts, sunglasses, fabric, clothes, flowers .... I got some great dried sweet tomatoes!! Who knew?

The Mancelli Teatro is fabulous! It's a "new" building from the 1800s with frescoes, a curtain that is really a painting and this amazing foyer/small concert space a couple of floors up. Much of the Winter Jazz Festival happens here. 

(Seats are covered so it looks a bit odd and the curtain was part way up - there was work being done on sets)

The "foyer" upstairs. 

I went to a bank today cuz I needed to break €100. It was much like going into a jail - press button, one door opens and you're in this teeny (really freaking teeny) area with the door closing behind you. Gulp!! Then the next door opens to let you in (Sigh of relief). I'll bet claustrophobic people do all their banking on line. 

Lunch was great again - another Lonely Planet recommendation. There was no menu - he just told people what he had today. I could hear him cutting the bread as people arrived - 5 tables. Best caprese salad ever!! Apparently that's because the Buffalo Mozzarella came from Naples - the owner was there last weekend. Apparently The Italian Star gets theirs from Toronto. Damn!

I heard some interesting stories from the next tables too and we all had some giggles - barge cruising, falling into the water ... like that. No one knew each other before lunch but do now. The cook came out and visited. When he found out where I was going next he immediately looked at my feet and told me emphatically several times that I can't wear the shoes I was wearing today. No kidding - I was wearing flip flops. I assured him I have the right footwear. 

Went to the Duomo one more time. The tour groups must have been gone cuz hardly anyone was there. Here is one photo of the frescoes I was talking about the other day. 

I believe this is hell

I walked a lot more of the path that rings the town, but I lost it again (like yesterday) at a vehicle entrance. Will finish it up tomorrow. 

There are bugs here - mosquitoes and no-see-ems. Had to break out the bug spray. 

This was a long post, but I seem to have packed a lot into what seemed like a laid back day. Oh yeah, also chatted via FaceTime with Charlotte (happy 8th bday) and the rest of the family. What a bonus!

Best Meal to Date

Up at 6 today (I don't know why), so went out walking with my camera to take advantage of the morning light. I hardly saw a soul for the first half hour. 

The people at the cafe where I've been buying my coffee everyday now know me. Cool. 

Today's highlight was lunch. Thank you, Lonely Planet!  A little trattoria with 6 tables where I ordered mousse di pecorino e cream di fava (Pecorino cheese mousse with fava bean purée) and Tagliata di pollo tartufo e mandorle (sliced chicken breast with truffle and almonds). 

(I'm turning into Shara - posting pics of food). 

It was divine!  Al the food I've had has been good or great, but this surpassed it all. I think I heard this on a Rick Steeves podcast - it's almost impossible to get bad food in Italy, but it's very possible to get bad wine.  Yep - €4 wine is drinkable but it's not great.   One definite disadvantage to traveling solo is not having the opportunity to sample more dishes - there's only so much one person can reasonably order. 

I rode the funicular today down off this huge pile of volcanic rock to see how it worked in prep for leaving Saturday and also to get my train ticket to Rome. Turns out I read the schedule wrong and have to go to one Rome station and hop another train to get to the other Rome station to get to my train to Naples. It won't be a big deal, but train stations aren't my favorite places and I'll be seeing several of them on Saturday. 

Also went to another museum - amazing the number of artifacts dating back as far as 600BC. And climbed down 64m of stone steps into an old Etruscan well (and then back up of course). 

See the well down in the trees - and the cliff beside it - yeah - down there. 

It's been humid and drizzly off and on the past few days. Sunny tomorrow- yay - my place is kinda damp when it's damp outside. 

Over 14 kms of walking today. I wish my Moves app recorded the vertical rise and fall too instead of just distance. 

 

Orvieto has a winter jazz festival every year.  Just sayin'

Museums and Monuments- Day 1, and laundry

Yesterday I was so taken with the cooking/wine experience that I neglected to mention some of the interesting historical information we learned from Anna Rita. The payment Luca Signorelli requested and received for his frescoes in the Duomo - 1000 liters of wine per year in perpetuity. I hope he shared with his friends cuz that's a LOT of wine, and if he drank it all himself, "in perpetuity" wouldn't have been very long. 

Orvieto was the summer home of the Pope which is why they have a huge Duomo that seems misplaced in this little city perched on top of a huge volcanic rock. It's defensive position (being on top of a rock and all) which also made it a great place for the Catholic bishops and cardinals to escape to after they pillaged (or "recycled", as a couple of tour guides in Rome said somewhat sarcastically) the marble and other grand building materials from the Coliseum, and much of Ancient Rome to build bazillions of churches - and the Roman people were understandably ticked with them. 

I bought the "see every museum and monument in Orvieto" card today. Went into the Duomo again, and this time I was able to see the Signorelli frescoes in the chapel off to one side of the Duomo - wow!!  It's like a smaller version of the Sistine Chapel. 

I guess I didn't take any photos of the frescoes with my phone, so you'll have to settle for the pillars. 

From there I went to the adjoining former papal palace (summer home) which now houses spectacular works of art and sculpture.

Orvieto Underground was next - back in 600-200 BC the Etruscans build an incredible number of caves under the town which is  where most of the commerce in town took place - even then they made olive oil and wine. They have mapped over 400, but there are said to be over 1000. Sarah will love this - they also raised pigeons for food in underground dovecotes until one of the popes shut that down, because people were sneaking into town through the windows of the dovecotes, thereby avoiding paying taxes. How the hell they could get up the cliffs to access the windows is beyond me - maybe they did Crossfit. The caves were used as bomb shelters in WWII - bombing occurred in the valley near Orvieto because it's on the main rail line between Rome and Florence. 

I went down into the caves, so I decided to balance that with going up - to the top of the Moors Bell Tower - 250 steps - for a fabulous view of the town. My cardio has very definitely improved since I've been here!! And the view was amazing. And the bell rang while I was up there. 

Fabulous lunch - again with the pasta and truffle sauce. The first time I had it, I loved it. This time it was ever so much better, but I have to start ordering something else. This can't be the truffle sauce tour of Orvieto. 

This afternoon I was quite enjoying being on my own, but it's dinner time now and I'm not liking it so much. Bought some veggies and will turn them into a salad in a bit. 

I've been starting to think about the ugly job of packing for the last leg of the trip. I need to rethink my approach to clothes. Bring fewer clothes, and bring clothes that are almost "done" so I can leave them behind, thus creating more space for the stuff I will inevitably buy. 

Laundry Day - clothes hanging in the sun with my glimpse of the Duomo. I almost used bleach instead of laundry detergent, but crisis averted. Although that may have solved my packing dilemma. 

A "curiosities and collectibles" shop I found today. Brian loved Betty Boop and she was well represented there. 

Mike O'Brian died on Sunday at only 51. I didn't know him, but I'd seen him on Corner Gas and remember when he used to write for the Leader Post. Very sad. Cancer sucks!

What fun!

Well, this was a day!! I went to a wine tour and cooking class at Decugnano dei Barbi, way up in the hills east of Orvieto and had the best experience. To start with, the drive was spectacular - Umbria is even more green than Tuscany! 

Seven of us got a tour of the entire winery including the ancient Etruscan caves where they finish their Brut. Sommelier, Anna Rita was a great tour guide and stayed around for the cooking class to offer information about the food we were preparing and, of course, to do the wine pairings. Rosanna, the cooking instructor didn't speak English, but she sure knew we were having fun and enjoying the class and the food. We made a meatballs (I have never had meatballs this flavorful) and zucchini balls for appies. Then 4 kinds of pizza (onion, marguerita, marinara and potato - yes, potato which I think was my favorite) and focaccia (served with Brut). We made pasta from scratch topped off with in season veggies (and a lovely white), a stuffed zucchini main course (with an amazing red) , wine cookies (with a great dessert wine). The secret to Umbrian cooking - a few fresh, high quality ingredients, keep it simple, TLC and lots of good olive oil in/on everything.  There were 3 of us in the class - me and a couple from Washington state who were a lot of fun. And we took away leftovers - and bought wine, of course. 

Mixing pasta dough

Veggies to go with the pasta

Between courses

Stuffed zucchini 

So that's all I did today - other than sleep in, walk around the corner for an espresso, sit in the sun on the patio, make a salad for lunch (knowing I'd be very well fed at the class) and buy my train ticket to Naples on line. 

Pentecost Sunday in Orvieto

It was hard to know when morning arrived - it is SO dark in here - so I kind of slept in.  But church bells eventually serve as a pretty effective alarm clock. I found a pet caterpillar had moved in during the night, and I gave him a couple of hours of peace before flushing him.  You gotta wonder what else could emerge from stone walls, but I don't choose to wonder that right now. I found a fine cafe right around the corner for morning cappuccino. 

Today was Pentecost Sunday and, let me tell you, it's a big deal. Businesses and homes are decorated with flowers. 

There are intricate murals made up of various colored flower petals on church floors which I assume are simply discarded after the celebration. 

I wandered into the Duomo during mass. Wow! It's huge with ancient frescoes all over the walls. Hundreds attended the service and tourists wandered around the edges of the congregation. It was an incredible display of the vast power and influence of the Catholic Church. I'll have to go again because I wasn't able to see the Signorelli masterpiece that hangs in one of the rooms that were inaccessible during mass. 

At noon there was a bizarre ceremony, complete with a marching band, a medieval procession, dignitaries in expensive suits and shiny shoes, thousands of people. It s all about a poor dove that gets put in a spinning cylinder surrounded by a ring of exploding firecrackers spouting a stream of blue smoke and is shot down a 300m wire till it slams into the front of the Duomo and presumably flies away.  Apparently the dove usually lives, but I didn't see a dove fly away today.  This bizarre ritual has celebrated the Holy Spirit and good luck since 1404. Not always good luck for the dove. Even the ones that live likely need medical attention and psychological counseling for PTSD. Animal activists are up in arms, so we'll have to see which is more powerful - animal activism or the Catholic Church. 

I discovered today that I can comfortably sit under the covered part of the patio in the rain. 

I have also found out that I REALLY don't like eating dinner alone in a restaurant, so I'm not going to do it every night. Tonight's menu at "home" is chopped tomatoes, asparagus, pecorino, basil and olive oil along with some salami and mortadella I bought yesterday.

An Amazing Day!

Interesting how the morning went. I walked down to the bus stop, asked some people if they were also waiting for the bus - they weren't - they were waiting for one of their group to bring their posh rented van up to the piazza.  We got chatting, all 6 of them are from Oregon, around my age and a bit younger. I ended up riding with them to  the Terontolla-Cortona station cuz that's where they had to go to return their rental vehicle. Lovely people, but I did have a moment of "what do you think you're doing?" But I got to the station, bought my ticket, a Coke Zero and got to Orvieto as planned to meet Lois, the property's agent for the apartment I'm renting. 

So I'm in Orvieto for a week, all settled into my cute little apartment. It reminds me so much of the place we had in Granada, Spain. There we had a great view of the Alhambra.  Here I have a glimpse of the side of the Duomo, so it's not as grand a view, but kind of along the same lines. It's 3 steps up to the bathroom, 2 steps up to the kitchen, 2 steps up to a bedroom, and half a dozen steps up to the bedroom that is kind of like a cave. Then another step up to the patio. I'll have to pay attention!! A number of the walls are made of stone, so it kind of feels like I'm in a wine cellar. 

But this is growing on the patio!!

I got good and lost walking around town today and was almost convinced I'd never get back here through this rabbit warren of streets, but eventually things started to look familiar - that also happened to us in Granada, but getting lost is an important part of travel. 

The follow the balloon tours have been replaced by follow the umbrellas. Everyone has one and it's no small challenge to navigate through a sea of them, especially when they're part of a tour group. I'm still choosing to let the soft water make my hair happy. 

Best pasta ever tonight - with truffle sauce. And the evening got better after that! In the afternoon I'd seen a poster for a concert tonight. It looked like it could be opera or chamber music, but I thought, whatever it was, I had to go. 

Finding ticket info was impossible. I went to the venue, he sent me across town to a place I never did find. The woman at tourist info told me it was free and just to come. So I did. It wasn't free, but it was only €10 and it was in the Emilio Grecco Museum among grand pillars and brick walls. Yeah - it's a trip highlight for sure! The music was kind of like Loreena McKinnett when she did the recording at the Alhambra only a lot more raucous - a bit of Moroccan, a bit East Indian, a lot eclectic. The three guys who played with her were amazing too. And it was a tiny venue - maybe 100 chairs set up in a corner of the museum. Apparently that sort of thing just happens here. Music is a big deal and people want lots of it and want it to be accessible. I was figuring that out already - like when I heard wonderful live music coming from a health food store - along with wine tasting. 

I'd heard that the farther south you go in Italy, the more "like Italy" things will get.  I've noticed that here already. I have to work much harder not to bump into people - they just go. Cars drive faster, already it seems I'm getting more conflicting information. There is less English spoken, and I haven't seen English on a menu or in a museum yet. It's like - you're here, but don't expect me to make a fuss. 

Tomorrow will be interesting too. There is a flower festival connected with Pentecost. There will be a dove, a medieval procession, flag throwers, a band and probably fireworks. I'll let you know how it turns out. 

The town is very decorated

No view of the valley today

It rained almost all day - a gentle soaker - the kind Sask farmers would love about 10 days from now.  The upside for me is that my hair loves the soft water, but €5 umbrellas bought on the street in Florence don't withstand the wind all that well. 

The day was low key. This morning I returned the €500 necklace I wore last night. 😢 Last night was a treat - I still can't believe the quality of food, wine and people I met. I've discovered some things about the charities they talked about - childcareworldwide.org and a fishing derby that raises a lot of funds for autism services in BC - all worthwhile ventures. Looks like they're very special people. I also looked into fractional ownership of properties in Tuscany, but I couldn't fine out anything about costs, which is usually a sign that something is out of my snack bracket. 

Since it rained most of the day, I went back to the Diocesan Museum to spend more time taking in the amazing paintings by Lucca Signorelli and his people in the 1500's - indoors. 

For lunch I went to Dardanos just one more time and then walked way up the hill to find yet another church - which wasn't open. The walk was lovely though, especially since the rain had mostly stopped by then. 

Supper was a huge caprese salad at the house since there were things in the fridge to be used up - important to be practical once in a while. 

It's funny - I feel like I'm leaving Italy, not just going on a 1 hour train trip to Umbria. It's hard to not be enchanted by Cortona, although I'm sure Orvieto will be enchanting too. 

My goal in Umbria is to use local buses to see some of the nearby towns (maybe Assisi, definitely Civita de Bagnoregia).  Goals, even simple ones, are important - I learned at home that I need to have at least one every day. 

I'm intrigued by some of the comments I hear when I'm surreptitiously eavesdropping - discontentment with cobblestones (really?), and lack of fitted sheets. Strange expectations!

SO out of my league tonight ....

My mission today was to find Bramasole, the house made famous by France's Mayes who wrote Under the Tuscan Sun. Thanks to pretty good directions from TripAdvisor and good old determination, I found it - AND I think I saw it below me yesterday from the high trail I took near the fortress. My route today was very similar to yesterday only lower and on a road rather than a rocky trail - much easier on the body. I took one wrong turn, but that road led to what I'm quite sure is the little shrine in the movie where the elderly Italian man brought flowers every day. I'd have to watch the movie again to be absolutely sure. At the beginning of the walk, my knee was still talking to me, but it seemed to work out whatever was ticking it off. 

Bramasole

The shrine - I think

One of many pretty spots en route 

This evening I went to Wine, Dine and Shine - wine tasting of wines from Montepulciano ( Brunello), a multi course dinner complete with wine pairings AND the opportunity to wear a piece of Del Brenna jewellery for the evening. (I bought a silver chain and pendant yesterday - must stop shopping, but that was on "the list". And jewellery is so easy to pack - not like boots ... - oh yeah - bought a pair of boots too).

My Del Brenna purchase

 Anyway, I ended up at a table with mostly Canadians - who were connected to the Vancouver Canucks, owned mining supply companies, were retired entrepreneurs who own several properties in Tuscany and are connected to charities in Africa. All lovely people - must google them. Oh yes, and an American from N Carolina who lives in Tuscany most of the year and invests in wine - apparently 2010 Brunello is a good investment. The twists and turns of life. And I still have the piece of jewellery I chose for the evening - must return it tomorrow. 

Sebastian, the winery ppl and Abel from N Carolina. 

This afternoon I was listening to Jeffery Straker and missing home a bit. Traveling by myself - and mostly being by myself is going to be an emotional challenge. I mean I'm an introvert, but this is different - most of the people I come in contact with don't speak English. Maybe I need to go to more Wine, Dine and Shine events - or stay in hostels.  Thanks for the email, notes on Facebook etc. I really appreciate it. 

I'm pretty sure the couple from Saskatoon I met on the plane were wrong. They said each of the 5 times they've been to Italy they've lost weight because of all the walking they've done. I'd love it if that were true for me, but I'm skeptical. Kelly/Michelle - how did that work out for you?

Leave it to an old farm girl to find the back road

The weather has changed from perfect to slightly cooler with lots of rain in the forecast for the next week. There were a few showers today.  So glad I bought an umbrella from some guy on the street in Florence. 

Michelle and Sarah left for Rome around noon and fly home Thursday - it sounds like they had kind of a chaotic travel day, but Sarah found caprese pizza and their hotel is near the sea which made everything better.

Waiting for Enzo, our favourite cab driver at Piazza Garibaldi 

I knew the house would feel empty after they left, so Instead of going back there, I went on an adventure. My plan was to hike up to St. Marguerites Cathedral and beyond to the Gerfalco Fortress which dates back to 1556,  which I did, but not in the way I initially thought I would. I accidentally came across a real hiking trail that I hoped would take me to the fortress  the "back way". It didn't, but it was a great hike outside the city walls complete with some really steep spots.  

I could see the fortress walls, but I guess the nature of a fortress is that there are limited access points?? Along the way, there were stunning views, beautiful wildflowers and a walk thru forest that ended up at the back gate to St Marguerites.  I spotted some blue glass on the path, so I expect I was on the Way of St Francis which made me wonder if I might end up back at Le Celle or even Assisi. 

Brian would not have approved of my adventure - I could almost hear him giving me shit.  It was impulsive, I had no food, water, GPS and no one knew where I was.  My footwear was good, although he wouldn't have thought it was good enough. But I'd trade all of his opinions to have had him here with me, even for a minute, and would have happily endured his safety lecture.  But I felt truly alive the whole time I was doing it (especially when my right knee started "talking to me". 

When I arrived at the fortress, imagine  my surprise when I discovered that even in 1540 people were reorging. Yep - never going back to work. 

   

I turned on the tv for a minute this afternoon and got Big Bang Theory in Italian. Weird. I can't get Netflix or CBC comedy on my iPad, but I can get the National. Didn't even think of that when the kids were here but I do now ...

I made a visit to Del Brenna this afternoon and my credit card will feel the effects, but the silver chain and Italian Lire pendant are lovely. 

Eating dinner by myself in a restaurant isn't much fun - at least not tonight.  It was kind of a bust other than the lovely Sangiovese red I ordered (very smooth). My plan was to have beef florentine with a good red, but I made the mistake of ordering an antipasti that turned out to be huge, so that's all I had. Interesting that Jason Mraz was playing on Italian radio a while ago - I think I heard Seena Ryder too. 

Hmmm - blogs may get longer now that I'm by myself - just sayin'. Sorry, but thanks for being there.